Spark-plug.



E. BRANDQUIST.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION man JUNE 1, me.

2 SHEETSSHEE'T l.

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W/TNESSES E. BRANDQULST.

i SPARK PLUG. APPLICATION FILED )UNE 7. IQIG- patented Jan. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

lIl

I,1 III WOR/VE lht@ BRANDQUIST,

OIE OENGE, .NEVI JERSEY.

SPBK-PLUG.

Specieation of Letters atent.

"Patented 2.3, 21W. i?.

Application filed .Tune Fi, 191.6. Serial-lilo. 102,202.

i o uit' autom t muy concern.'

Be known that l, Euro BnANnQmsr, a subject ef the King of Sweden, and a resi dent or" Grange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and improved Spark-Plug, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to spark plugs and has for an object the provision of an irnproved arrangement whereby upon an inspection of the plug a person may see whether or not the same is properly sparking.

Another object in view is the provision of a plug in which a dead section is produced with one end extending exteriorly of the engine when the plug is in use, thus allowing the operator to see whether or not the plug is sparking without removing the pl ug..

Another object in view is to provide a plug with a switch at the exterior 'part thereor which may be opened and closed for producing a spark thereby determining whether or not the operating contacts are properly sparking.

e. still further object in view is to provide a plug which may be screwed into the cylinder and held therein by a single threaded clamping member. t

in the accompanying drawings r-.F igure l is a longitudinal vertical section through a spark plug embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through Fig. l on line 2 2. F ig. 3 is a. fragmentary hori- H zontal section through part oi an engine cylmodir'ied forni oi spark plug connection therewith. F ig. 4. discloses further modified forni of spark plug to that shown in Fig. l. Fig. is a side view of a modified form of spark plug to that shown in Fig. l. Fig.- 6 is a sectional view through 5 on line (3-6. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing indcr, a slightly being shown in part of an automobile in top plan and a system of wiring associated with the plug shown in Fig. l, the same einhodying another form of the invention. F 1g. 8 is a detail fragmentary sectional view showing one of F ig. 7.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, l indicates a casing for a spark plug which may be of the usual construction .now commonly in use except that the thread` ed portion 2 is much shorter so that the lower part ot' vthe porcelain 3 may entend an appreciable distance into the cylinder. The

...gap 1l whenever there is a 4 be used l the switches disclosed 1n porcelain 3 is held in place by the usual packing nut 4f, which nut has a contact pin 5 con nected therewith, which pin is provided with an arc-shaped portion 6 so that the end 7 of pin 8 may bevthe same distance from its coacting pin even though the nut 4 has been turned slightly. The porcelain 3 is preferably made wider at the lower part so as to form a shoulder or oifset portion 9 through which the pin 8 passes. It will be observed that the pin 8 is dead as it is not connected with the contact bar l0 or with the contact pin 5.

`When the plug is in use the current will jump the gap ll and also the gap l2 so that there will be a spark in the cylinder and one eXteriorly of the cylinder. The exterior gap is provided especially to indicate whether or not the plug is properly sparking interiorly. By reason of the fact that the pin 8 is dead ordinarily, insures a spark in the spark in gap 12. The lower end of the contact bar l0 and the lower end of pin 8 may be constructed in any desired way and spaced any desired distance apart. Connected with the upper end of the bar l0 by any suitable means is a wire 1:3 which is connected with a source of current, which source of current is grounded on the engine and being grounded on the engine energizes the cont-.1ct pin 5 so that when the make and break is operated a spark will be properly produced at the gap 1l and also at the gap l2.

ln operating an internal combustion engine a large part oi the trouble is caused by poor sparking or the failure to spark and in order to ascertain whether or not the spark plug is operating various means must and quite often it is necessary to entirely remove the plug and test the same to see if it will spark. The construction shown in Fig. l and just described produces a spark gap of the usual or preferred size and in addition produces an arrangement which will allow the operator to readily ascertain whether or not the plug is operating properly without molesting the plug in the least. ln this way much time is saved when going over an engine to ascertain where any particular trouble is located.

In case it is not desired to have a spark eXteriorly of the engine, as for instance, gap l2, a slightly modified arrangement may be used, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the usual interior spark at gap 'l1 is provided formed from glass and into ywhich the contact and the rod 8 project, as shown more` particularly in F ig. 5. The rod 15 carries a soV shoulder 17 which is pressed against the end of the pin 8 continually by spring 18, said spring acting against a washer 19 which may be held in position by pin 5 or Amay rest against the end of the container 16.l

When the plug is in use the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 5, but in case it should be desired to test the plug to see if the same is sparking, knob 14 will be grasped and the rod 15 pulled until there is a space between contact 17 and the rod 8, whereupon if the plug is properly sparking a spark will jump across this space. If this occurs theoperator knows the plug is properlyv operating and he may then go to the next plug and operate the same to see if it is properly sparking. In this way all of the plugs may be tested quickly and easily with-v.

If the plugs out removal from the engine.

are all in good shape it is evident that any trouble is caused by something else than the lug.

In the preferred form shown in Fig. 1 or in the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the contact or pin 5 is connected with the clamping nut 4, but if desired this pin could be connected directly to the engine, as shown in Fig. 4, and the porcelain 3 screwed directly into the engine, thus eliminating both the casing 1 and the nut 4. To do this the porcelain must be made from some material which will stand heat and which will be of insulating material also. The .member 3 has been described as porcelain but it will be understood that the same may be Jformed from any material which will resist heat and' which will also insulate the bars 8 and 10, and therefore the word porcelain is intended to cover any ot these materials which may be used.

A further modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the body 1 is eliminated and the nut 4 is screwed directly into the cylinder 2() for clamping the porcelain 8 in position, said porcelain being constructed as shown in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is disclosed a still further modified arrangement in which the switching mechanism is arranged adjacent the drivcrs seat and an. appreciable distance away from the engine so that the driver may test his plugs at any time. As shown in these figures the contacts 5 are connected by wires 21 to contact posts 22 mounted in a block 23 of insulating material, as shown in misser Fig. 8. A socket 24 is connected to each of the blocks 23 so as to engage the knife 25 which is pivotally mountedv at 26 to the binding post 27, which binding post is supported by block 23. Normally the knife switch 25 is closed but if it should be desired to test any plug the particular knife sw'itch associated therewith is opened slightly, as shown in Fig. 8, and if the plug is operating as it should a spark will jump from the socket 24 to the knife 25. If a spark is not prbfduced at this point when the switchis slightly open the driver knows that the plug is not properly sparking.

`What I claim is:

1. In a spark plug of the characterdescribed, an insulating member provided with a bar extending therethrough, the inner end of the bar acting-as a contact, an

auxiliary bar extending through said insulating member arranged so that the inner end will act as a contact spaced from the first mentioned Contact, and a ground member eX- tending to near the upper end of said auxiliary bar, said ground member being arcshaped at its upper end, the are being formed so as to cause the distance between the ground member and the auxiliary bar to continually remain the same regardless of Athe position of the auxiliary bar.

2. Ina spark plug of the character de- A scribed, an insulating member provided with an enlargement on one side at the lower part, said enlargement extending' through the casing of the plug, said enlargement forming a shoulder at the upper end spaced below the upper end of the insulating member, a bar extending through the insulating member and forming a contact at the lower end, an auxiliary bar extending through the enlargement and made of such a length that one end will project beyond said shoulder and the other end will project beyond the enlargement for forming a second contact whereby said auxiliary bar remains dead until the circuit is closed, and a ground member connected with said casing and formed with a member extending to a point adjacent the-,upper end of said auxiliary bar.

ERIC BRANDQUIST. 

